rife

adjective

ˈrīf How to pronounce rife (audio)
Definition of rifenext
as in filled
possessing or covered with great numbers or amounts of something specified a city government that is rife with malfeasance and corruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rife In a country where poverty is rife and malnutrition strikes the most vulnerable, such income losses can be critical. — Abdul Qahar Afghan, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026 The impetus for this work, according to the researchers, is that drug-resistant bacteria are rife and growing. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026 This is a more bullish take than the German bank's previous forecast on June 23, written when inflation fears were rife. — Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026 Tensions are also rife over the mine’s water consumption and the terms of its community-benefit agreement. — Justin Worland, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rife
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rife
  1. filled
  2. crowded
  3. fraught
  4. abundant
  5. awash
  6. packed
  7. teeming
  8. jammed
Adjective
  • Taylor received the medication in four pre-filled syringes, but wanted a lower dose.
    — Kara McGrath, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026
  • New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have introduced or passed legislation penalizing the practice and requiring employers to disclose hiring timelines or remove filled postings, while Texas has opened its own investigation into a major job board.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of filled
Adjective
  • The service is intended to provide a more streamlined travel experience, including access to private terminals rather than crowded commercial airport facilities.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Cal chooses to lure Aron to Kate’s, chooses to present Aron to his mother in the middle of the crowded brothel, chooses to hurt both of them in this moment.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of crowded
Adjective
  • Both companies boast century-old studios, beloved media brands and a recent past that has included several fraught mergers.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Over the course of just a few months, artificial intelligence has become one of the most central issues, and one of the most fraught issues, in the relationship between the United States and China.
    — Kyle Chan, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fraught
Adjective
  • Hydrogen-boron fusion, by contrast, relies on comparatively abundant fuels and primarily produces charged alpha particles rather than high-energy neutrons.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Jazz was financially accessible, the culture was alive and shows were abundant.
    — Mary Carreon, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of abundant
Adjective
  • My public screening was awash — nearly literally — with sniffles and sobs.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Even way back then, in 2021, social platforms were awash in fake views, fake likes, fake traffic, and fake engagement.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of awash
Adjective
  • The movie played well at a packed Alice Tully Hall, and afterparty revelers were mildly upbeat.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Waiters weave through packed aisles carrying foaming one-liter mugs, and strangers at long wooden tables quickly become friends.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of packed
Adjective
  • The new findings are confounding scientists’ expectations, raising questions about how exactly molecules can encounter their reactive partners in a teeming, crowded space — and therefore how cells can possibly function.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 18 Feb. 2026
Definition of teeming
Adjective
  • Investigators said that the co-pilot carried out the attack with what's called a crash axe — a lightweight emergency tool stored in the cockpit to break through panels or jammed doors in the event of a crash.
    — Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
  • By weaving lasercomm links across space, airborne and terrestrial nodes alongside existing fiber and RF, leaders create self-healing mesh networks that guarantee mission-critical throughput even when primary links are severed or jammed.
    — Rohit Jha, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of jammed

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Cite this Entry

“Rife.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rife. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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